The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-03-10
Nv yea. later to Mis-. Marion, of Lexington,


travelled for while and then commenced the
practice Of medicine in Chillicothe. where he
mas always resided. In 1853 DR.. Waddle was
appointed q trustee Of tho Ohio University. In
lSJS he was made o trustee Of the Athens
Asylum for the Insane, and in 1880 he was made
one Of the trustees Of the Central Asylum at
Columbus, which position he still holds. DR..
Waddle possesses q good many valuable letters |
and papers, but his personal recollections are |
Of even more value than his documents
Judge Grimke the author Of u standard poll |
tico.philosophical work, entitled ''The Nature |
and Tendency Of Free institutions" j" lived in |
Chillicothe, but there has never been much |
written about him. I asked DR.. Waddle II he
recalled Judge Grimke. ~ e
70, yes," was the answer. II knew him well,
and saw great denl Of him In his latter days.
Senator Thurman was one Of his executors.
Frederick Grimke came from South Carolina,
where he was born. His family was o distin-
guished one Of Huguenot extraction. He had
brother who was well known lawyer. Judge
Grimke had two sisters who held strong convic-
tions on the slavery question, and werc forced
to leave South Carolina by reason Of their
abolition views
zone Of them Angelina, married man named
Weld. When Weld was o young man, and the
ant-slavery excitement ut Lane Seminary was
ut its height, about 1885, under the inspiration
OF DR.. Beecher, he came to Ohio to lecture there
and stopped In Chillicothe. Some one invited
him to deliver his address here He did SO,
and was assailed with bad eggs and cabbages by
the mob.
"Judge Grimke wus about eighty years of age
when he died. He left directions to have one
copy Of his book deposited with the Govern
ment at Washington, and second copy with
the Confederate Government at Richmond. He
thought that the Union would be sundered and
the Confederacy successfully established"
"Was Judge Gfmlees book o successr'
II think 30. 1t WAS not the kind of o book to
NNv ondn q 10rfY OfrO1n n n those
fond Of such works It would be interesting and
valuable. believe It still has some sale. 1t is
thoughtful book and very well written. Judge
Grimke wrote no other books. He was mod
est man In many ways, and there is no picture
Of him to be had. In fact do not think he ever
had one made. Being IN ufnarred man he may
have lacked the Incentive. s
"Grimke was n slender man, about five feet
nine inches in height. He had u good forehead,
large expressive eyes, a long, slender nose and
thin face"
"What were the Impressions you gathered
from old citizens earlier in your life about the
conspiracy that compassed the defent and re-
tirement of General st. Clair, Governor Of the
Northwest Territory Ha
II have heard great deal said about the
political conspiracies and schemes Of early
| times, and much that I heard has been con-
| firmed by an examination Of the published
papers Of st. Clair, sWorthington and others
who were prominent In politics then. Thin,
Massie and Worthington were the leaders in
the plot against st. Clair, and they were active
| in their efforts to effect his political ruin.
| Colonel Worthington and DR.. THIN had hardly
been in the Territory year. said the editor OF
St. Chairs papers, when they formed the design
Of driving st. Clair out and bringing about a
| political revolution Massie was their trusted
adviser and they were assisted by William
| Creighton, jr, and Samuel Finley, of Ross
| Mr.. Darlington, of Adams; Judge Symmes
/ Tohv Cyv,it rnfn md npais
Dunlavey, Of Hamilton, and Return ]. Meigs
| jr., Of Washington County. jeremiah Nor
row and others were brought into the ring
later. +a
| "Colonel Massie was not ambitious Of politi
cal preferment, but he had . grudge against
st. Clair for refusing to locate the county-scat
OF Adam County at Manchester, where he had
large landed interests The others were after
political 0f1ices' ~ a..-. "a. ,
The plot against St. Clair was thoroughly ant
carefully planned. A continuous effort was
made to work up . popular sentiment agains
him, and the notion Of forming . State from thu
Territory was dwelt upon with great deal o
persistency. The hope of the conspirators wa
that in ON election st. Clair would be defeated
The State party became very aggressive, an
during the session Of the Territorial Legisla
ture that convened on the 24th OF November
1901, the political excitement reached such
height that q mob melted by the advocates o
State Government, and aided by certain citizen
Of Chillicothe who were angored ut the 'propos
ed removal Of the seat Of government, too
possession Of the town for two nights.
Members of tho Legislature who had vote
, | against the measures Of tho State party wer
, threatened with death, and the door Of tn
house In which Governor st. Clair and Nj
Schefelein, IN ardent supporter Of his in tn
Legislature, boarded, was forced open. Th
mob advanced into the hallway, but were drive
out Mt the point of pistol.
TnYn 1op ppnui 1nnf hn
cothe junta seat Colonel Worthington to Wasi
!, ington. He represented If the Territory was
vidcd and Ohio admitted, that n new Stat
, would be added to tho list Of those upon whic
he could count for support. Ea
yAs early Us 1900 Worthington threatened
prefer charges against st. Clair through tn
, Legislature, but that body would not becOm
his tool. James Ross tried to mend mattel
and establish moro pleasant relations anon
/ the leading men Of the Territory. but he coul
not turn tho tunta from its purpose of owe
throwing St. Clair. After the attack on s
Clair It became violent, and In cases passed II
!, limits Of decency. General Rufus Putnam toe
o strong and active part in defending the Go
ernor by letter and petition. While at Was
, ington Colonel Worthington labored to crea
the impression that ST. Clair was u nacrcile
!. dcspot and that there was no remedy for II
dreadful state Of affairs, but o change OF l0c
: government. One Of Worthington's friend
!. John Smith, who was afterwards u. 8. So
:, | ator and implicated In the Burr conspirac
. | strobe about Washington exclaiming: I've d
!, and have been for moro than thirteen yea
!, under the oppressive hand Of tyranny. Y
q want to be free"
Every available influence was brought to be
= upon President Jefferson, and two OF his en-
!. mics made statement in writing that they hi
!. heard him declare, while he was talking
friends In o private house, that the Unit
!. States Government would finally settle dov
ALA, ,,tf nrr
y coupled with others that he had spoken in d
. paraging terms OF Jefferson, was sent to Was
n ington by tho spies that were always sneaki
!. about St. Clair to report and misinterpret eve
:. word that fell from his lips. The facts seem
= be that he did not make use Of the langua
" ascribed to him, and there Is evidence at ha
- to prove that he was not ut that time personal
10 unfriendly to Jefferson.
- Mr.. Jefferson knew that 0 man who had risk
his life and spent large fortune In helping
- establish the Government ives not Q monart
a. ist, and the low designs Of the Western poll
!, clans did not prevail Just then. But within
:, year he removed st. Clair for. political reasol
= and on the strength Of some Of his public NIT
a. ances which were not supposed to be m h
N mony with the welfare OF Mr.. Jenersons par
:, | und which were garbled and falsely reported
n. spirit to him by some OF st. Glars enemies
"a the Territory.
~ =. Tho removal caused great deal Of talk OF
20 time, and Jefferson was sharply criticised fol
=. because II was looked upon as o bit OF low po
ical persecution. St. Clair was known to hi
been favored friend OF Washington's and y
= man OF great learning and ability. He 81
his services and his fortune TO his country d
ing the war Of the revolution, and 1t was "
properly held that u any man then living '